How to configure MSI Afterburner: overclocking, power consumption

MSI Afterburner is a proprietary application for managing the basic performance characteristics of discrete graphics accelerators from AMD and Nvidia. The program is used to overclock video cards by increasing the voltage and operating frequency of the graphics core and memory, and the fan spindle speed. It monitors the state of the graphics accelerator: temperature, frequency and voltage of the main power elements. In this article we will figure out how to unlock the Vcore Voltage parameter.

Problems with using MSI Afterburner arise when you need to change the voltage on the video card core - Core Voltage. The slider responsible for the voltage on the graphics accelerator core is set to minimum and is not active - it is colored gray. The problem is resolved quickly, but not on all computers.

Video card overclocking settings using Msai Autoburner

This editor allows you to change the current settings of the video card, and also perform voltage control. The process of changing parameters itself is carried out by amending the following provisions:

1. Memory — device memory frequency.
2. Curve is a parameter for graphical indicators.
3. Core - frequency of the core used.
4. Parameter responsible for voltage control.
5. Cooling system and operation of coolers on the device.

Of course, you need to set the values ​​in such a way as to improve performance, but at the same time not exceed the available maximum indicators that were set by the manufacturer.

Important! If the Core Voltage indicator in MSI Afterburner is not working for you, you need to change a number of settings, since without this parameter you will not be able to properly increase the performance of the video card.

Questions and answers

Maxim Mazuta

I have overclocked 100,500 video cards and know a lot about optimal settings. You can ask your questions, I will help.

Ask a Question

Questions to the expert

How much should I set Fan Speed ​​in MSI Afterburner to avoid damaging the video card?

This requires personal experience and observations. It all depends on the operating modes of the device, the efficiency and state of cooling (radiators clogged with dust reduce the intensity of heat removal), ambient temperature, and degree of overclocking. If you are afraid of overheating, it is better not to touch anything. Built-in protection against thermal damage does not always save you.

What to do if the Fan Speed ​​slider is greyed out (not working)

To unlock software control:

1. Click on the “Auto” button (to the right of the name).
   A quick way to solve the problem.
2. Open the settings by clicking on the gear, visit the “Cooler” tab and activate “Enable custom software...”.
   Same thing through Afterburner settings.

Another way

1. Quit the application.
2. Open the file ProfilesMSIAfterburner.cfg in the Afterburner program directory using a text editor (Notepad, Notepad++).
3. Change the value of the variable “SwAutoFanControl” (line 75) to “1” and save the changes with the combination Ctrl + S. An
   advanced text editor displays line numbers.

The Fan Speed ​​option will remain inactive if the fan is connected to the board with a plug with three wires (control signals are sent via the fourth), and the chip is not equipped with a chip for adjusting the fan frequency.

Important! If the instructions do not help, look into the case of the system unit; if there are three conductors leading to the cooling, you will not be able to interfere with the operation of the fan.

Appearance of connectors with three and four contacts.

Using the program

In addition to overclocking the video card, MSI Afterburner has a number of additional functions, such as system monitoring with temperature and load graphs of the main computer components.

Installation

To start using the utility, you need to download it from the official website.

1. Go to the Downloads tab and click on the Download Afterburner button.

2. Run the installation file, select the language and follow the instructions.

3. Then a small window appears - this is the installation window for the RivaTuner statistics module. Select the language and install the module.

General form

After launch, we see the program divided into 2 sections. In the left section is the main overclocking panel, and on the right is the system monitoring window.

Memory in MSI Afterburner

In this case, we are talking about an indicator responsible for the device’s memory frequencies. In other words, it is this value that shows in what ranges the device operates. By moving the slider, users can significantly increase the performance of the card, which in turn will also increase energy consumption and, in combination, the heating of the equipment. It is not recommended to immediately set the maximum values, since under load the highest performance will lead to overheating. That is why, here everything is done gradually, with appropriate tests carried out, and gradual adjustments to the system cooling settings, so as not to exhaust the hardware resource ahead of time.

Possible problems

It is not always possible to overclock a video card correctly using MSI Afterburner. Problems may arise during the process. For example, manufacturers of some video cards pre-install a block on their devices that prevents acceleration. To get rid of this block, you need to find the MSIAfterburner.cfg file and open it in Notepad. Next you will need:

1. Find the line UnofficialOveringEULA.
2. Write the sentence after the “=” sign: I confirm that I am aware of unofficial overing limitations and fully understand that MSI will not provide me any support on it.
3. In the window that appears, put one.

The sequence of actions presented above allows you to remove the blocking, but again, this does not work with all cards.

MSI Afterburner Curve

In this case, we are talking about graphical indicators of the curve, which are displayed on the corresponding graph. With their help, the user can monitor the level of load that is currently passing through the video card. This technical element also displays frequencies and other indicators indicating the current state of the device. You can track such a trend that the graphic indicators change depending on the load, as well as the voltage present on the element. Additionally, using this tool you can monitor the available resources of the device. If you change any settings accordingly, then certain distortions will appear on the graph.

Capture Video

The overclocking feature provides precise settings that allow you to get the most out of your graphics card while protecting your hardware from permanent damage.

Memory overclocking

The next step is to overclock the memory, and the same method is applied with slightly different steps. We recommend increasing the memory clock speed by 50-100 MHz per step.

§ MSI recognizes this and has created its own overclocking utility in Afterburner that simplifies the process. I would recommend running Kombustor for at least 10 minutes and watching the map as it does so. Just make sure there are no glitches, crashes, etc. If so, reduce the clock speed by 10 and repeat the test.

Enabling Overlay on the screen with FPS

Using MSI Afterburner to display FPG on screen is a great way to show how good or bad your graphics card really is. You can easily configure the software to display temperature, workload, memory clock speed, clock speed, and everything else that comes with the graphics card.

How to enable FPS in games:

1. Click on the settings tab and find the "Monitoring" tab
2. In the Active Monitoring Graphs section, select the information you want to display on screen by clicking the desired fields and about. For example, if you are doing benchmarking, you can demonstrate FPS, core clock speed, memory clock speed, and temperature.
3. Whenever you load a game, the on-screen display (OSD) will provide real-time information about your graphics card's performance.
4. You can assign in-game hotkeys to turn the OSD on and off, which is ideal for everyday use.

Core parameter

Another important indicator that demonstrates the frequency of the video card core. Of course, to improve performance, you will also have to change the current value to values ​​within acceptable limits. Typically, when overclocking this component, the slider opposite the parameter is set to maximum, which is reflected accordingly in the graph, as well as in performance and energy consumption. Also, when changing values, you will be able to observe an increase in voltage, which will lead to faster heating of the video card. That is why it is recommended to enter the values ​​gradually, systematically increasing the operating frequency of the device core, so as not to exceed the maximum permissible values, and as a result, not to damage the card before its intended resource.

Monitoring

You run a high risk of causing permanent damage when overclocking, so don't approach this process recklessly. How to Safely Overclock a Video Card?

Enabling Overlay on the screen with FPS

At this point, you should test the new settings over an extended period of time to ensure that the card is stable.

There are many methods for capturing video, and as you might have guessed, Afterburner has its own unique capture software built right into it.

How to turn on the fan on a laptop to maximum: causes of overheating and ways to solve them

Hello, friends of the site itswat.ru. Since you looked at this page, it means your laptop has started to overheat. High-quality cooling can extend the life of the car as a whole and the service life of its components. Manufacturers took care of this by building a fan into their creations, but adjusted its operation to only 50% of the maximum power. This is easy to explain. Firstly, for standard work on a PC (text editors, mail, social networks, music, and so on), “half” cooling is quite enough. Secondly, at maximum speed the cooler will buzz quite loudly, which is not very pleasant for the human ear. But for very active users who use their machine for games, constantly watch videos and run various processes that heavily load and heat it up, this “airflow” is not enough. And in hot summer periods, overheating happens much faster. That’s why today I’ll tell you how to turn the fan on your laptop to maximum.

Voltage control via MSI Afterburner

In practice, using this program, you can control the voltage of your video card without any problems. Of course, this option can only be used in a situation where the user has at least some idea of ​​the internal components of the device. Otherwise, it is better not to touch this indicator, since there is a fairly high probability that incorrectly made adjustments will lead to the rapid failure of the required component. That is why, by default, the voltage setting is disabled, and it can only be activated by making certain changes to the current software parameters. Do not forget that any increase in load will necessarily affect the temperature regime.

When overclocking is not recommended

• The older it is, the worse it is - no amount of overclocking will help an old video card start playing modern games. And the more time has passed since its release, the less effect you can feel. The point is many things: outdated technologies, small amount of video memory, excessive gluttony and resource consumption. Which, when trying to overclock, can easily lead to breakdown.
• Cheap video card - relatively cheap video cards are generally not designed for heavy games. Their task is to allow the user to watch videos, do office work and surf the Internet. For them, overclocking will practically not help, and will even be harmful, due to the simple design and widespread savings on board components and cooling.
• Video cards on laptops - in any laptop, even a gaming one, everything is done for the sake of size and energy efficiency - thin cases, small radiators of cooling systems, dense layout on the board. When overclocking, the system generates additional heat, which the laptop’s cooling often cannot cope with and is forced to limit its performance.
• New to computers - If you are not very PC savvy, there is a high chance of slowing down the performance of your computer. In fact, the user must understand what he is doing and why, be aware of the risks and be prepared for various consequences.

Undervolting video cards via MSI Afterburner

Whenever you try to increase the performance of a graphics card, you are bound to face the problem of increased heat dissipation. Any modern video card has conditions laid down by the developers under which normal functioning is possible. Very often this value is set at 94 degrees Celsius, which is the maximum temperature at which the component can function properly. If for any reason you heat the device above this limit, then it is possible that the video card will turn off due to the built-in protection, or it will completely overheat and fail, making subsequent operation impossible.

What does the Power Limit option do?

Any video card has its own power consumption threshold (TDP). The higher it is, the more electrical energy is consumed per unit of time and the more heat is released. This is why more powerful video cards have higher power consumption and more powerful cooling systems are installed on them to remove the generated heat.

The Power Limit parameter allows you to increase or decrease the maximum power consumption of the video card. You need to increase it when overclocking, because in order to squeeze more out of the card than its standard capabilities, it needs to be given more power.

If the Power Limit is reduced, this will lead not only to a drop in the performance of the video card, but also to less heating. It’s no secret to many that the lower temperatures a video card operates at, the longer its service life.

Unlocking Core Voltage in MSI Afterburner

Using this software, users can independently set acceptable settings for active voltage indicators. Initially, this option is disabled for security reasons, however, you can enable it using the following manipulations:

• you need to run the software on your device;
• then you go to the section with settings for the program;
• here you need to select the main parameters for the system;
• Next you have to check the “Unlock voltage” checkbox;
• the next step is to apply the changes made to the settings;
• after that you can immediately go to the main menu of the program to apply other values ​​​​for the voltage used.

It should be understood that the default setting is disabled for a reason, but solely for security purposes, for the simple reason that an inexperienced user can accidentally increase the performance, thereby putting an excessive load on the video card, after which it can quickly turn off or even fail .

Software

For those who do not want to get into the basic input and output system, but believe that their Asus, Acer, Lenovo or any other laptop is overheating, special programs will help increase the fan speed, such as Speedfan, Lenovo Energy Management, Easy Settings and Notebook FanControl. Let's talk about them in more detail.

Speedfan

One of the most common programs with which users can monitor the temperature of the main components of a laptop and force the fan to turn on to the maximum is Speedfan. Among the advantages of the program, I would like to note its free nature, ease of use, availability of the Russian language and relative universality. Speedfan is suitable for most laptops of famous brands - Dell, Acer, Samsung, HP, Lenovo and others. So what you need to do:

1. Download Speedfan from the official source (https://speedfans.ru/). On a laptop it will only take up a few megabytes of space.
2. Unpack the archive.

1. Install the utility by running the installer with two clicks and following its instructions.
2. Launch Speedfan. It will immediately diagnose your device and display data on the temperature of its components.

1. For convenience, change the language of the utility - click on the Configure button, go to the Options section and select Russian from the drop-down list.

1. Go to the Indicators section, where you can not only see the current temperature of the components, but also set the required cooler rotation speed. It is measured as a percentage.

1. By pressing the Configuration button you can go to the desired and critical temperature settings. The first is the one that the cooling system will try to maintain, and the second is the one at which the system will start sounding the alarm and warning about overheating.

1. After making the settings, minimize the program using the appropriate button.

Why doesn't it show voltage?

Currently, many users are faced with the question of why the voltage is not displayed when the component is working properly. In practice, this manifests itself in the following situations:

1. the corresponding function is disabled in the settings and must be activated to broadcast current values;
2. the device was damaged, due to which the data became incorrect or stopped being displayed altogether;
3. due to excessive load on the video card, the sensor that reads the temperature simply failed;
4. Also, voltage is not displayed when this parameter is not specified in the drivers of the device used.

In any situation, you will have to make a number of changes to the system components in order to receive correct information about the load that the device passes through in a specific period of time.

How to take screenshots

We also recommend enabling the ability to take screenshots using Afterburner. To do this, go to the “Screenshot Capture” tab and bind any key convenient for you. Format - JPG with quality 90-95%. Also go to the “OED” tab and uncheck “Show OED on captured screenshots and videos” if you do not need the overlay to be displayed in the frame.

Saving settings

When the process is completed and the card is accelerated to maximum, you will need to maintain the current frequencies and cooler speed.

To do this you need:

1. Click the Startup button.
2. Click the save profile button. To do this, you will need to select any of the 5 slots that are highlighted. It's best to choose the first one.
3. Go to the profile settings and in the 3D profile column check the display of the received parameters.

If other parameters are displayed in the tab, it is recommended to change them by entering the necessary numbers or entering